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I spent most of yesterday and much of today spinning and the Roseburg Christmas Craft Fair at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Our both is in a great location in the brand new Conference Building. We have a double booth on the back wall opposite the central aisle so our banner can be seen from the far end of the building. We're set up so I'm sitting and spinning at the front of our booth so I can talk to everyone as they walk by. My job is to attract attention so customers enter the booth where others can conduct the sales.
It's a lot of fun. I'm talking about spinning. I'm talking about alpacas. I'm telling folks, "No, they aren't llamas." I'm saying, "No, it isn't wool and I don't have sheep!" Mostly, though, I just sit and spin and talk and enjoy myself. Even with all the talking and sales pitches, I managed to spin an entire bobbin of very thin singles using some lovely black, suri alpaca. Someday, I'll spin the other bobbin full and have some wonderful yarn for lacework or other lightweight, open pattern garments.
Most of the kids want to try the spinning wheel. Lots of people want to know if I built my own wheel. Even though this is my fourth year at the show, a lot of people don't believe a man can spin -- if I'm not at the wheel, they start asking Pam how to use it. These shows can take patience.
Unlike some booths where customers aren't supposed to touch anything, the rule in our booth is, "You must touch everything!" It's one of the my best sales lines -- I must have used it 100 times today.
If you're in the Roseburg area, the fair continues tomorrow from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM. It's a great event. Stop by the booth and feel just how soft alpaca is. (Unfortunately, I have to work my day job tomorrow, so I won't be at the craft fair until just before teardown.) If you've already been to our booth, thanks for stopping by.
And what does this all have to do with the title? That's another story from the fair. You'll need to post some comments to remind me to tell the tale.
It's a lot of fun. I'm talking about spinning. I'm talking about alpacas. I'm telling folks, "No, they aren't llamas." I'm saying, "No, it isn't wool and I don't have sheep!" Mostly, though, I just sit and spin and talk and enjoy myself. Even with all the talking and sales pitches, I managed to spin an entire bobbin of very thin singles using some lovely black, suri alpaca. Someday, I'll spin the other bobbin full and have some wonderful yarn for lacework or other lightweight, open pattern garments.
Most of the kids want to try the spinning wheel. Lots of people want to know if I built my own wheel. Even though this is my fourth year at the show, a lot of people don't believe a man can spin -- if I'm not at the wheel, they start asking Pam how to use it. These shows can take patience.
Unlike some booths where customers aren't supposed to touch anything, the rule in our booth is, "You must touch everything!" It's one of the my best sales lines -- I must have used it 100 times today.
If you're in the Roseburg area, the fair continues tomorrow from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM. It's a great event. Stop by the booth and feel just how soft alpaca is. (Unfortunately, I have to work my day job tomorrow, so I won't be at the craft fair until just before teardown.) If you've already been to our booth, thanks for stopping by.
And what does this all have to do with the title? That's another story from the fair. You'll need to post some comments to remind me to tell the tale.
posted by Upper Alpacas | 8:04 PM
2 Comments:
It sounds like you had fun. Do you let people (or kids) use your wheel?
June,
I've thought about offering a place to sit and spin in a booth at yarn and fiber shows, but I've never done so. An opportunity to sit and try spinning alpaca might be extremely effective at Black Sheep Gathering, Oregon Flock and Fiber, or similar shows. I'm not sure it would go over so well given the crowds at the Christmas craft fair.
We encourage people to feel the alpaca and I often have children feeling the fiber I'm spinning and the yarn on the bobbin. When I'm plying, I have them feel the difference in texture between the singles and the plyed yarn.
Kim
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